Frank Bruno slams PM for failing to address mental health

EX PROFESSIONAL boxer Frank Bruno said he wants to sit down with Prime Minister David Cameron to address the poor service received by mental health patients.

The 54-year-old, who appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning (Dec 2) criticised Cameron for the failure of the NHS.

“They treated me very, very, very bad. They made me feel like an ant,” he told the show’s hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about his own treatment.

He added: “I’m sorry for the other patients and what they’re going through so I’m flying the flag for the government to stop giving money away to different countries and invest the money in your own country.”

Bruno, who has been treated for bipolar disorder twice in hospital, was critical of Cameron who he accused of being more interested in foreign affairs than he did of domestic matters.

“Look after Britain and make Britain the best country in the world,” he said.

Referring to his own personal struggle, the father of four shared that some days were easier than others.

“Some days, you’ll get up and the sun shines, some days it’s raining. We all have different problems – bills to pay, relationships break up, kids to look after from a different marriage so it’s not only me what goes through it.”

But Bruno insisted he was now “110 per cent happy”.

Twitter users were quick to praise Bruno for his honesty with applauding his bravery.

Steph Beele wrote: “Frank Bruno was amazing, so grounded, good to hear someone talking so much sense for a change.”

Julie Anne Taylor wrote in agreement of Bruno’s criticism of Cameron: “Well proud of Frank Bruno and his interview on #GMB stop giving money to other countries and invest in our mental health services.”

Our Aims: About Us

To support users and ex-users of psychiatric services in the Manchester area. The organisation provides a forum for services users to have a bona fide say in planning and provision of mental health services.

Protesters in King’s Lynn fight against mental health service cuts

Protesters took to the streets of King’s Lynn to voice their anger at what they described as “continuous” cutbacks to mental health services in west Norfolk.

Mental health cuts protest

A protest march against cuts to mental health services and the Fermoy Unit at the QEH took place in King's Lynn town centre. Picture: Matthew Usher.

More than 100 campaigners marched from The Walks through the town centre before finishing outside the Majestic Cinema.

Peter Smith, former parliamentary candidate for south-west Norfolk said: “We are in the fight of our lives here.”

The protest was triggered by the Fermoy Unit, an in-patient NHS facility in Lynn for mental health, which campaigners say faces an uncertain future. The unit was briefly closed to new admissions earlier this month, but reopened last week, albeit with fewer beds.

Mr Smith said: “In my lifetime we have never had to fight like this, but what is the alternative?”

But Debbie White, director of operations for Norfolk at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said there were now no plans to axe the Fermoy Unit.

She added: “It is right that mental health services should be valued and funded on the same level as acute health services, and it is understandable people feel passionate about the Fermoy Unit remaining open.”

Labour party activist Jo Rust insisted the issue would not disappear. She said: “They have been talking about closing it for a long time. We will fight and we will not let them do that.”

Beth Anthony, 18 of Dersingham, said: “We are here to protest against the continuous cuts to the mental health service, we think it’s unacceptable. My younger brother suffers from poor mental health and has to travel to London... That is to the detriment of my family because we have to pay for him to go down by train every single month.”